


Rascals and Redemption

by Jetta058



Category: High and Low: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Buso!, Gen, Naomi is contemplative, Possibly a little out of character, no really, she sort of disappeared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-09-01 13:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8626975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jetta058/pseuds/Jetta058
Summary: Naomi left Ito Kan for a few days after the intrusion by the White Rascals to clear her head of a lot of overwhelming thoughts. Rocky catches wind and apologizes.. Sort of. 
Just sort of a character study for one of my new favorite female characters. She needs a little more love from the series. 
I have NOT watched the movies, just up through season 2.





	

The White Rascals’ attack on Ito Kan hadn’t phased her much really. Before her brother stayed to run the restaurant regularly, several gangs had wandered in to intimidate the establishment into giving protection money. The first few times, her heart pounded for a day or so after the incidents, fearful of repercussions, but none ever came and she learned to spot venting hot air. The White Rascals had been the first to destroy anything. On purpose. 

 

She sat near her brother’s grave, gazing through the engraved stone. Being there still ached, but she’d found peace in the graveyard. It soothed the ache in her chest even as it fed it and she’d yet to deconstruct the conflict there.

 

The intimidation by a rival gang hadn’t shaken her much. Being taken down so easily by Rocky hadn’t either. It was the resounding, replaying, shattering crash as the chandelier came down. She had a piece of a broken green bottle between her fingers, careful of the sharp edge. Somehow, her mindless, wandering fingers hadn’t been cut by it at all as they skirted over the textures of it. It was completely harmless to her. 

 

The world turned green as she looked up through it at the sky. 

 

Most of the chandelier was fine; it would be scuffed, but that would just add to its history and charm now. Slowly, she came to understand that she was still shaken because that chandelier was one of her last memories of seeing everyone in Mugen smiling. Kohaku had been trying to accept Ito Kan that day by building it, Tsukumo was awake and proving his intellectual prowess (6 times 4 is 28, really? It still made her smile on a bad day) and Cobra and Yamato were smiling, making trouble, and a little naive. 

 

Rocky yanked and shook the foundations of what peace she’d been strong enough to make within herself. Though, her anger rivaled her fear; she’d been equally furious at Rocky, the Hoodlums, Kohaku, and herself for her powerlessness. She’d only stepped out to grab lunch for herself and leeks for the kitchen, only to come back to her own regulars down for the count. She hadn’t been there to protect them.

 

Her eyes watered as the ache of being at the graves overtook the delicately balanced peace. Only the time since Tatsuya’s death kept the tears from spilling anew, but she felt the ache spread from her heart up to constrict her throat followed shortly by angry fire. She squeezed the glass firmly, though it neither cracked nor cut her. It was all she could take for now. Until she could get the urge to  _ beat  _ every gang member she came across into oblivion under control, she was going to the little tea shop nearby to be around totally normal, unconnected people. If Ito Kan could pull in more business, she’d go on vacation to-

 

The rage roared in her ears as she spotted the figure no 20 feet away and obviously observing her struggle for peace. Under  _ any  _ other circumstances, she would have walked past him with a cold shoulder, but  _ no.  _ She flew at Rocky like a demon before she could blink her own eyes. It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t react either, but she was around Yamato a little too much, she realized, as she caught his ridiculous pimp cane with one arm. She continued her surge forward with her other fist.

 

Rocky, damn him, only stumbled back a step or two, just out of reach, but didn’t move further. He held out a hand to signal his flunkies to wait, that he really was fine. His glasses were a little crooked and a slightly red mark was forming where her fist landed right between his eyes. She reveled in the image until understanding drained the fight right out of her in a flash; she’d just punched the White Rascals’ leader. In the middle of a gang scuffle.  _ Technically _ she wasn’t part of the Sannoh Association, but most people knew better anyway.

 

Panic must have shown on her face, or at least realization and ‘Oh shit’, because the nuisance in white just smiled and chuckled as he fixed his sunglasses. His lackeys relaxed back into their ‘too casual’ poses and she made to walk past him. 

 

“Hey now,” The bottle blond started, voice too thick with amusement. “You should apologize for hitting someone. It’s unladylike.” 

 

For a long moment, she was silent, expression hidden from him as she controlled the licking flame of irritation threatening to torch her calm to happy ashes. She finally responded with a carefully not-forced, “My apologies.”

 

“Next time I’ll aim to reconstruct that ridiculous grill.” The flames toasted the edges. Naomi started to move past him, just wanting some damn tea. She refused to drown volatile emotions in the ignition fluid that was alcohol.

 

His arm shot up in front of her, startling her back a step. 

 

She made a noise of annoyance even as he offered the steaming styrofoam cup to her, “Let’s talk a moment.”

 

“Eh?” She offered eloquently, not taking the offering. The logo was immediately recognizable as the tiny tea house she’d nearly been living in to get away from Ito Kan. She made eye contact with Rocky as she hesitantly took the tea, “How did you…?”

 

Rocky smiled sweetly at her and nodded to a bench near the rear of the cemetery. “Let’s go.” He started off casually, as if knowing she would follow.

 

Smug little…

 

The thought derailed as she sipped the tea. She turned to look at the remaining White Rascals and was promptly started to realize she recognized one of them from the shop. Creeps. Naomi sighed and followed Rocky up the slight hill, peeved but resigned. 

 

“Stalkers.” she commented dryly and without heat as she stood across from Rocky. 

 

He grinned unapologetically and lounged on the bench like it was his throne, “No one from the Hoodlums was watching over you, so we did.” 

 

Naomi let the lightly sweetened tea warm her properly, but she leveled a small scowl at him, “Despite what the White Rascals may think about women, I don’t need protection. I’m alone because they know better.” The scowl didn’t match the gentle warmth of the tea, but he wouldn’t know  _ that much _ about her. Only Yamato and Cobra knew her that well, and only because of… well… “Baldy.” she caught herself muttering lowly in irritation.

 

“Huh?” Rocky looked somewhere between confused and cautiously peeved, styrofoam cup mushed a little in his hand. 

 

“Ah, sorry. Nickname for a friend.” She offered to smooth his irritation over with some sincerity. To her relief, it worked, but he quickly became irritated again. There would be no winning here. “What did you want to say?” Her tone hardened a little to get him talking.

 

Naomi supposed the look he leveled on her was supposed to make her uncomfortable and squirm. She held it, steady, sure and completely unconcerned until he finally spoke. One minor win at least, though she didn’t let the smug feeling linger.

 

“They know better?” Rocky raised a mocking eyebrow., “A woman was hurt and they let her go cry on her own in a cemetery. Is that your brother’s grave?” He set the cup down, ignoring her sharp glare, “We protect women who are hurt by despicable men for no reason. I might have needed to find Dan, nor did I hurt you physically, but yet here you are.”

 

It finally clicked in her mind that he was apologizing, so she rolled her eyes and made him squirm (sort of) while she gathered her thoughts. “You didn’t physically hurt me, no. You just destroyed my bar, tricked me into betraying my friends, and threatened every good memory I have here.” Her tone was light, but pointed. “That… chandelier you brought down was one.” Her tone turned quiet and the blond’s eyebrows knitted together.

 

Noting his confusion, she clarified, “It’s probably ok, but my friend made that before S.W.O.R.D. was an idea. The area hadn’t seen too much turmoil and people were still happy. Certain people were very different and it shouldn’t have changed.” There was a painful pause. “But it did and I’m at peace with that. I just don’t want to lose the memories of those times.”

 

Rocky finally spoke up, “You want to return to that? I didn’t peg you as that type.”

 

“Ah no.. as I said, I’m at peace with what happened. I just want to see some of those smiles return. You want to see women hurt by men learning to trust again in your club. It’s the same for Ito Kan. That’s what it has always been there for.”

 

They fell into a thoughtful silence, Naomi enjoying her tea (internally; externally was another story) and Rocky studying her. It went on a little too long and Naomi lost interest quickly. 

 

“If that’s all you have to say, get your guys to stop following me.” Her tea was empty and she wanted to talk to Tatsuya again. The ache was gone and her peace was back.

 

Rocky seemed to break out of his thoughts but quickly adopted a mischievous look, “Ah? Oh, that guy just likes that place too.” 

 

Naomi’s bows furrowed quickly, “How did he get my tea right if he wasn’t watching me then?” She  _ needed  _ to challenge that. These guys were notoriously good at finding and following people.

 

Rocky outright laughed, an oddly humanizing thing on him, “The owner gave it to us that way.” The other Rascals all looked up at the sound as if startled. “He was watching, but only because you looked legitimately hurt and like you needed it. He’s a little soft hearted for strong women crying.”

 

She furiously smothered the embarrassment and internalized cry of help for the ground to swallow her immediately. It must have made it to her face though, because Rocky was suddenly on the hunt. “But the tea is very good there. Maybe I’ll start going?” He was teasing, even as he stood and left his tea behind.

 

“Don’t you dare. It’s peaceful there.” Naomi shot back, irritated, but relieved they were back to familiar territory. 

 

“Take care Naomi.” Rocky tossed the comment casually over his shoulder as he made his way back towards the rest of the Rascals. 

 

“Don’t call me that.” She crossed her arms and sighed in irritation, watching the mass of white leaving. 

 

Silence settled comfortably into the cemetery after a few moments and Naomi made her way back to Tatsuya’s grave, the cups in hand.

 

“....I just met someone weird.” She started quietly. 

**Author's Note:**

> One of the things I've never been able to come to terms with in writing fic for Japanese things is honorifics. Its so much easier to understand that someone is being kinda goofy/disrespectful when they say "Cobra-chan" vs "Cobra-san". While I'm attempting to learn Japanese, I still feel like I'm being a poser if I say "Naomi-san" or "nii-san" when everything else is in English. I don't mind when other people do it. Is that weird?
> 
> This is un-beta'd! Please let me know of any mistakes!
> 
> Also, if you haven't watched this series, GO DO IT. The movies being hard to find is frustrating as all get out, but its so worth it!


End file.
